Too many companies assume they’re expected to say “yes” to every question … to be the best at everything … and to be constantly reminding you how superior they are. Yet, those very same companies wonder why more people aren’t buying their message. Maybe it’s because the goal of great marketing is not to become a better liar. It’s to tell the truth about your company and tell it well. And the truth is that you aren’t good at everything. When you start to admit this, surprising things happen…
1. Customers see you as a specialist. “We don’t do everything, but we’re great at this one thing.” That’s good news, because specialization is the fastest route to brand differentiation. You simplify your message and give your marketplace something to remember you for.
2. Clients start calling you for advice. You become a trusted advisor, not only because you’re a specialist, but because you’ve proven you can be trusted to tell the truth – even if it’s at your own expense.
3. Your sales and service teams do a better job of delivering your brand message. You would be surprised how many sales leaders tell us they’re embarrassed by the message they’re supposed to convey. Give them a message they can actually believe in, and their sales effectiveness increases exponentially.
4. You cut the fluff and clutter. It was just obscuring your real message anyway.
5. Everyone you talk to will fall off their chair. People expect a lot of hype from sales and marketing. Surprise them with some genuine humility, and they’ll love you for it.
For the same reasons, it’s also good to be honest about your competitors’ strengths. At PitchMaps, we try hard not to bash our competitors. Instead, we want to admire them, learn from them, and speak well of them. We just know that, for certain companies in certain situations, our solution really is the best choice.
When it comes to brand positioning and sales messaging, your mom was right all along. It’s always better to tell the truth.
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